Parachute Testing to ASTM Standards

PACI facilities on Searchlight Airpark

PACI provides Third Party Testing Agency (TPTA) services for applicants who seek Part 107.39 Waivers using ASTM as a Method Of Compliance.

The new ASTM standard defines the requirements for the design, manufacturing, and testing of sUAS parachute recovery systems.

Amongst other things, the standard requires an autonomous triggering system to detect failures and deploy the parachute without relying on the RPIC (remote-pilot-in-command) as well as a flight termination system to stop the motors from spinning.

To meet the standard, parachute systems will need to pass a series of aerial deployments (45 for multi-rotors) through which they need to prove the effectiveness of the system in the sUAS’s full flight envelope and in various failure scenario.

F3322-18 requires the integrator/manufacturer to perform a series of over 45 aerial deployments in different scenarios together with a 3rd Party Testing Agency. These scenarios include two types of failures; Full Motor Cut (FMC), basically a complete loss of power to all rotors, and Critical Number Motor Failure (CNMF), a partial failure resulting in only some of the motors malfunctions. These deployments are performed at different UAS states (mainly hover or full forward speed).

Contact us here for more information, or call 702-586-1160 to schedule.

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